Rosario Board of Trade (BCR, for its Spanish acronym) added a new channel to check domestic and international reference prices of pulses, as a value contribution  for the sustained growth of this market in a transparent and representative way, improving its competitiveness.

At the level of domestic prices, a survey of Argentina’s official FOB prices can be found, provided by the Argentinian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (MAGyP, for its Spanish acronym), as well the reference prices offered by the cooperatives of Agricultores Federados Argentinos (AFA, for its Spanish acronym) and the Association of Argentinian Cooperatives (ACA, for its Spanish acronym) to farmers.

You can access it by clicking on: https://www.bcr.com.ar/es/mercados/mercado-de-granos/cotizaciones/legumbres 

As far as the international level, prices are shown on a board that includes the Canadian and Brazilian pulse markets as global and regional price references. Canada is one of the main global producers of dry pulses and the main global exporter. It trades a fourth of the global sales value. Also, Brazil is the main Argentinian trade partner for green peas as well as for black beans.
 
Argentinian pulse market

The main characteristics defining the structure of the national pulse market is its low domestic consumption and the export of the largest part of its production. The country is a counter-season producer, the main suppliers of the world market being located on the Northern hemisphere.

Argentina holds no special relevance for its productive volume, it provides 1% of the global production, however, it stands out in the international trade of beans by covering the highest share of the market, above 20%, and it is one of the 10 biggest exporters of chickpeas.

The main international growers of beans are also the main consumers, except for Argentina, which allocates almost all its production to the external market. Both reasons give our country a comparative and competitive advantage, being the first exporter of beans of the Southern hemisphere.

As for products, the country is the main exporter of kidney beans, comprising almost a fourth of the total world exports. It is also the fourth exporter of the black, red and cranberry bean varieties.

The importance of pulses

During 2021, Rosario Board of Trade joined the National Board of Pulses (Mesa Nacional de Legumbres), a space articulated by the Argentinian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, and which enjoys the active participation of the Board of Pulses of Santa Fe province (Mesa Provincial de Legumbres), coordinated by the secretary of Agrifood and Foreign Trade of the Ministry of Production, Science and Technology of Santa Fe.

It is a forum that integrates all actors of the national pulse chain, which intends to address all aspects of the activity, from production to trade, with the goal of boosting its growth and improving Argentina’s position in the global market of these products.

The pulse market has a high potential because it is a threefold-impact activity, with high perspectives of economic growth; environmentally sustainable, since it reduces gas emissions responsible of the greenhouse effect by rising the carbon sequestration; and socially responsible, since pulses are among the most nourishing types of food of the planet and their consumption is connected to good health. They are gluten-free, low-fat, low-sodium and have a low glycaemic index and, at the same time, are a good source of vegetable protein, iron, potassium and fibre.

Legumes can help improve nutrition, biodiversity, food security and adaptation to climate change. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) declared 2016 as the International Year of Pulses and February 10th as the World Pulses Day, with the aim of promoting actions that contribute to eradicate hunger and protect the environment, in the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals and their 2030 Agenda.